Archives › Bob Harkins
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The Cincinnati Reds had one heckuva celebration after clinching the NL Central title on Tuesday night, dowsing each other with champagne and emerging from the clubhouse to party with fans. (Watch some great video of it all from C. Trent Rosecrans here) But apparently their celebration went far beyond the bounds of propriety, as team…
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It was a dramatic night in the MLB playoff races on Tuesday, with the Cincinnati Reds clinching the NL Central for their first postseason trip since 1995, and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays also assuring themselves places in the postseason, eliminating the Boston Red Sox in the process. The AL teams are…
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This story from Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times will have Red Sox fans quaking in their boots. Yes that’s right, Adrian Gonzalez likes Chicago! ”There’s definitely a lot of positives about Chicago that if they made an offer, I would be interested in it,” said Gonzalez, 28, whose ability to hit for power to all…
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The Tampa Bay Rays would have clinched a playoff berth with a victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night. They failed to pull it off, managing just three hits against Brian Matusz in a 4-0 defeat. Afterwards, Evan Longoria and David Price vented not about the loss, but about the fact it came before…
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The American League playoff field is set, with the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins clinching their divisions, and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays soon to sort out who will be the AL East champion and who will be the wild card team. But there is one big thing left to watch for…
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It was supposed to be an epic series: Yankees vs. Rays. The two best teams in baseball locking horns in a four-game series with the AL East lead at stake. And after four games, we’re back where we started, with Tampa Bay’s blowout victory on Thursday preserving a split of the series and keeping the…
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No matter what Rays do in playoffs, payroll to be reduced in '11
Sep 22, 2010, 2:36 AM EDT
Despite dropping their last two games to the New York Yankees this week, the Tampa Bay Rays have been among the best teams in baseball all season long. Entering Wednesday’s action, only the Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies have better records. They have a young, exciting nucleus of players, and the experience of having…
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If ever there was a sign a ballplayer should retire, this would be it: Cincinnati’s Jim Edmonds injured his right leg running the bases after a solo home run in the second and did not return to the field in the bottom of the inning. The Reds say that Edmonds, 40, has a strained right…
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There was more than just baseball fun in the Philadelphia Phillies’ victory over the Atlanta Braves Monday night. We also saw the debut of “red man,” a red-suited fan who ran onto the field, only to have his show end abruptly by a well-timed hip check/trip from Braves outfielder Matt Diaz. The fan, who I…
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Remember Chris Young? He certainly hopes the San Diego Padres do. Young, the 6-10 right-hander known as much for his injury struggles as his talent, threw 55 pitches over three innings in a simulated game on Thursday. He is trying to work his way back from a shoulder injury, and says he’s focused on returning…
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Brandon Phillips, the All-Star second baseman for the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds, left Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants after he was hit on the hand by a pitch from Santiago Casilla. The incident occurred in the fifth inning of what would become a wild 12-11 Cincinnati victory. While Phillips stayed in the game…
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On Tuesday night, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was ejected from a 16-inning loss to the Astros when he argued a questionable check-swing strike call by third base umpire Scott Barry. The hook came quickly, without mercy, and forced the Phillies to move Raul Ibanez to first base and pitcher Roy Oswalt to the outfield. The…
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The Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins for the second straight night on Tuesday, a nice confidence builder for the Rangers after being handed their lunch by the Rays the week before. But perhaps the real excitement came before the game, when a U.S. Army skydiver was snared by a flagpole as he was descending…
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According to the Associated Press, the judge on the Roger Clemens perjury case has issued a gag order prohibiting “public comments by the principles in the case.” It’s about time. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton is worried that lawyers (that means you Rusty Hardin) and potential witnesses (and you Brian McNamee) could affect the jury…
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Marty Brennaman has been broadcasting Cincinnati Reds games on the radio since 1974, when he was hired to replace Al Michaels. But in 1979, after five years on the job, opportunity – and the Los Angeles Dodgers — came calling. From John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I had a chance to come here (Los…
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Hold onto your hats Braves fans, the Philadelphia Phillies are finally hitting their stride. The season has been a struggle for the Phillies. They’ve endured a host of injuries, questions about the preseason trade of Cliff Lee, some major slumps from outfielders Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, and even some questionable managing decisions. All you…
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The San Diego Padres are probably the most surprising team in baseball. They’re leading the NL West by six games and have the third best record in baseball, behind only the Yankees and Rays. Yet they aren’t getting a lot of respect for their accomplishments, not even from their own management. The San Diego Union-Tribune…
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Everything is going right for the Tampa Bay Rays lately. They just completed an impressive sweep of the Texas Rangers, signed their top draft picks and are stocking up on some alleged pitching talent. So why the need for a wardrobe gimmick? Because it’s pretty dang sweet, that’s why. It’s called the “BRayser” — which…
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Tim Lincecum has had a rough season. At least for him. His fastball velocity is down, his mechanics are out of sorts, and he’s thinking a little bit too much, which is only hurting the ballclub. But on Tuesday in Philadelphia he didn’t let his on-field issues affect his attitude, going to great lengths to…
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We know everyone is crabby over in Dodgerland. Reading this story from the Los Angeles Times isn’t going to make anyone happier. The Dodgers have talked about creative ways their Chavez Ravine property could generate revenue for ownership. One such deal, a head-scratcher, is already in place: The team has been charging itself rent —…
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As with all of the players selected in the 2010 draft, No. 1 overall selection Bryce Harper has until midnight ET on Monday night to sign a deal. If he doesn’t reach an agreement with the Washington Nationals, Harper could return to college or sign somewhere else, such as an independent league. This seems unlikely,…
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Last week, former pitcher and current Washington Nationals broadcaster Rob Dibble caused a little stir when he made some degrading comments on the air about a couple of female fans, wondering why they wouldn’t stop talking, how they must be embarrassing their husbands, and theorizing that “there must be a sale tomorrow.” Now he would…
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One interesting result of the big Cardinals-Reds square dance on Tuesday night – aside from the fact that only the managers were ejected, is that Brandon Phillips was not the one to emerge as Public Enemy No. 1. (You can see different videos of the brawl here, here and here.) The real post-brawl villain was Cincinnati…
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Brandon Phillips is flashy and likes to live large. He drives a custom Audi with purple paint and Gold Gloves on the wheels, and he blames his sweet ride for his recent reckless driving charge. (“I really didn’t know how fast I was going. That’s how powerful the car is.”) The Cincinnati Reds’ All-Star second…
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Now that Alex Rodriguez has reached the 600-home run club, it’s time to look at who’s next. Jim Thome, you’re up. The Minnesota Twins slugger, who turns 40 on Aug. 27, has 13 home runs in 74 games this season and 577 over the course of his 20-year career. At his current pace, he should…
